Vaporizer for automobile-boilers.



No. slsl. Patented Nov. la), |900.

J. WALKER.

VAPBIZER FOR AUTOMOBILE BOILERS.

(Application led Mar. 3, 1900.' (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

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No. 66mm.v Patented Nov. I3, |900.-

Y J. l. WALKER.

VAPURIZER FOR AUT0M0B ILEIB0ILERS1.

(Application led Mar. y3, 1900.1

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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Y@ MM@ :NiTED STATES PATENT FEICE.

JouirRRISBEN` WALKER, or IRvINGToN, NEW YORK.

VAPORIZER FOR AUTOMOBILE-BOWERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 661,651, dated November 13, 1900.

'= Application filed MTCh 3, 1900. Serial No. 71151. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it mfc/y concern.:

Be it known that I, JOHN BRISBEN WALKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ir- Vington-on-the-Hudson,in the county of West chester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vaporizers for Automobile-Boilers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention has for its object to provide a convenient vaporizer to be attached tothe boiler of a steam-driven horseless carriage or automobile and which is adapted when first getting up steam to vaporize the hydrocarbon when the burner is to be lighted, the invention enabling me to dispense with the use of detachable vaporizers or torches, such as have heretofore been employedin connection With certain burners for automobiles or horseless carriages, and which torches have to be heated independently of the steam-generators and then applied thereto. These detachable vaporizers or torches, which have to be separately heated, are more or less incon- Venient in use, as will be understood.. l

In carrying my invention into effect the pipe which conveys the gasolene or other liquid hydrocarbon from the tank to the burner is preferably passed through the boiler and the combustion-chamber, as heretofore, and adjacent to the point Where the hydrocarbon Vapor is to be injected into the burner this pipe is formed into a coil, the convolutions of which are preferably slightly separated from each other. The convolutions of thisvaporizing-coil may be disposed in the same horizontal plane or in a pyramidal form and are inclosed in a protecting-housing forming a chamber which opens into the combustionchamber of the boiler, this coil being also preferably partly disposed Within the said combustion-chamber. The vaporizing-chamber containing the coil referred to is provided With an alcohol-lamp, the arne of which serves to heat the said chamber and the vaporizing-coil therein, the said lamp being protected, so that the flame thereof will not be extinguished by currents of air, only sufficient air being admitted to the said Vaporizing-chamber to permit of a proper combustion of the alcohol with which the lamp is to be supplied. By reason of the juxtaposition of the vaporizing-coil to the combustion-chamber and the fact that the vaporiZing-chamber communicates With or opens into the said combustion-chamber the said coil is kept heated When the alcohol-lamp is not burning, so that condensation of the gasolene or other liquid fluid is avoided.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical sectional diagrammatic view representing a portion of a fire-tube boiler suitable for an automobile With my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same With the casing of the vaporizing-chamber in horizontal section. Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2, showingaslightly-modified vform of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, A denotes a portion of a vertical fire-tube boiler adapted to be heated by the combustion of vapor generated by vaporizing gasolene or other liquid hydrocarbon, and which vapor passes through the burner B and is consumed in the combustion-chamber C. D is a pipe through which the gasolene or other liquid hydrocarbon passes from a suitable storage-tank (not shown) to the burner, the said pipe preferably passing through the boiler and the combustion-chamber, so that after steam has been gotten up the pipe will be sufficiently heated to vaporize the liquid fuel. The pipe D is formed into a coil E, which is preferably adjacent to the discharge-nozzle f, out of which the Vapor passes under pressure to the burner 0f the boiler.v The convolutions of the coil E are preferably somewhat separated from each other, and the said coil is housed by a casing F, which forms the vaporizing-chamber G, inclosing the said coil, and which vaporizing-chamber extends laterally from, but opens into or communicates With,the cornbustion-chamber C.

The vapoizingchamber, located at one side of the combustion-chamber and containing the coil E, may be entirely outside of the said combustion-chamber, as shown in Fig. 3; but it is preferably constructed, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the vaporizing-coil will be partly disposed in the combustion-chamber and Will thus be kept Well heated When the IOO vehicle is running, thereby avoiding any condensation of the gaseous fuel by a cooling of the coil.

The vaporizing-chamber G is provided with a lamp H, preferably adapted for burning alcohol, and the burner of which lamp is inelosed in said vaporizing-chamber, only suicient inlet thereto being provided by openings h to supply the quantity of air necessary for the proper combustion of the alcohol in heating the chamber G and the vaporizingcoil therein When steam is to be gotten up. For this purpose only a spoonful or two of alcohol will be necessary to be supplied to the lamp on each occasion of getting up steam, and when this has burned out the coil will have been su'iciently heated so that the vaporization of the liquid hydrocarbon will continue by the heat supplied from the burner of the boiler. Owing to the fact that the convolutions of the coil E are slightly separated from each other, all portions of the pipe constituting said convolutions are well exposed to the heat afforded by the lamp H. The' lamp may be detachable in any suitable manner, so as to be conveniently supplied with alcohol, or a suitable covered opening h', through which the alcohol can be introduced and the lamp lighted, may be formed lin the wall of the vaporizing-chamber.

The fuel-supply pipe is provided with a suitable regulating-valve I, which may be located either between the coil E and the discharge-nozzlef, as shown in Fig. 2, or between the coil E and the boiler, as shown in Fig. 3. The apparatus is preferably provided with an automatic regulator J, of well-known construction and by means of which when the steampressure reaches a certain predetermined point the supply of vapor to the burner is automatically shut off.

The vaporizing-coil E is preferably disposed as shown in the accompanying drawingsthat is to say, with its convoluted coils arranged in the same horizontalplane. The particular construction of said coil, however, is not essential, as the same might be of pyramidal form, or the coil might be more elongated than shown in the drawings, or the pipe might be disposed back and forth in serpentine form for the purpose of providing a suitable extent of vaporizing-surface inclosed in the vaporiZing-chamber, or instead of forming a vaporizer of folds of pipe or lof a coil consisting of a series of convolutions of the pipe the vaporizer might consist of a receptacle having flat surfaces for exposure to the heat generated by the lamp H. It Will therefore be understood that I do not wish to limit my invention to the particular form of vaporizing-coil herein shown or, in fact, to any particular form of vaporizer which is inclosed in a chamber adjacent to the discharge-noz- Zle and communicating with the combustionchamber of the boiler.

The operation of the invention is as follows: When steam is to be gotten up, asmall quantity of alcohol is supplied to the lamp H, and when the said lamp is lighted it will heat the vaporizing-chamber G and the Vaporizing-coil therein sufficiently to vaporize the liquid hydrocarbon, which passes out of the discharge-nozzle f to the burner of the boiler, where it is lighted, so that the combustion thereof immediately heats the boiler for the purpose of generating steam. By the time the small quantity of alcohol supplied to the lamp has been consumed steam will have been gotten up, and thereafter the liquid fuel will be vaporized from the heat of the burner of the boiler, and owing to the juxtaposition of the coil E to the combustion-chamber of the boiler the said coil will be kept heated when the vehicle is in use, as has hereinbefore been indicated, the casing or housing F, which constitutes the Wall of the vaporizing-chamber, serving to inclose and protect the vaporizingcoil, so that in the rapid running movements of the vehicle the latter will not become so cooled by the air as to cause a liability of condensation of the vaporized hydrocarbon passing through the said coil. Instead of heating the vaporizer by means of an alcohollamp, as above described, the said vaporizer may be heated by means of a jet of gasolene drawn directly from the gasolene-tank.

From the foregoing it Will be apparent that my invention enables me in a simple and convenient manner to dispense with the use of the detachable vaporizers heretofore in use in connection with some classes of automobiles, and which detachable vaporizers are inconvenient in that they have to be heated separately before being located in position for use.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. ,The combination with a boiler provided with a combustion-chamber and a burner, of means for supplying a fluid fuel"` to said burner, a vaporizer located at one side of but adjacent to the combustion-chamber, a housing inclosing said vaporizer and forming a chamber which opens into or communicates with said combustion-chamber, and means for temporarily heating said vaporizer.

2. The combination with a boiler provided With a combustion-chamber and aburner, of

a pipe for supplying fluid fuel to said burner,

a portion of said pipe being disposed to form a vaporizing-coil located adjacent to said combustion-chamber, a housinginclosing said coil and forming a vaporizing-chamber which is at one side of but which opens into or communicates with said combustionchamber, and an alcohol-lamp for temporarily heating said vaporizing-coil.

3. The combination with a boiler provided with a combustion-chamber and a burner, of a pipe for supplying liquid fuel to said burner, a portion of said pipe being disposed to form a horizontal vaporizing-coil: a chamber for said coil extending laterally from but opening into or communicating with said combustion- IOO IIO

ro chamber, and a fluid-burning lamp for temporarily heating said vaporizing-ooil, the latter being disposed partly Within said oombus tion-chamber.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of tWo witnesses.

JOHN BRISBEN WALKER.

Witnesses:

HENRY CALVER, GEO. W. REA. 

